Community of Christ

Community of Christ is a Protestant Christian denomination which is a trinitarian offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. It was reorganized on 6 April 1860 by Joseph Smith III, the son of Mormon religious leader Joseph Smith, and it was known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) from 1872 to 2001. The RLDS Church supported trinitarianism (the view that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same), a view which fundamentally differs from the main LDS Church, although they share the sacred texts of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. However, the RLDS Church never considered the Pearl of Great Price to be scripture. The RLDS Church also does not believe in the LDS concept of exaltation (becoming a god), allows for people of all races to become priests (including women since 1984), restricts priesthood to adults (while the LDS Church says that 12-year-olds can become priests), and uses the Christian cross as a symbol (while the LDS Church objects to using a symbol of Jesus' death, as they believe that the savior lives). Despite holding several Protestant views, it still believes in prophetic revelation through the church presidents. In 2011, the Community of Christ had 250,000 members in 60 nations.